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St. Louis-area school districts prepare for scorching start to new school year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - With dangerous heat in the forecast next week, local school districts are preparing to keep their students cool and ready to learn.The Parkway School District, like many and others around the St. Louis area, are preparing for students to return next week. There's a possibility of triple-digit temperatures to start the new week, posing various challenges for school districts. ‘Stop work’ order triggers $7K bill in Jennings as resignations stack up “We are really excited to have the kids back on Monday," said Elisa Tomich with the Parkway School District. "We can't wait for that to happen, and we have a number of precautions that will be in place because the temperature is going to be very high." Outside the classroom, kids will be on the playground and gearing up for sports. The Parkway School District has an excessive heat plan in place  “We are going to modify recess, P.E. activities, and sports as needed," said Tomich. "Nurses are prepared. Bottled water...

City empties as thousands flee huge wildfire closing in on capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

By TAMMY WEBBER and JIM MORRIS (Associated Press)VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Residents heeded warnings to evacuate the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as a massive wildfire burned toward the city of 20,000, while firefighters on Friday battled a growing fire that set homes ablaze in a city in British Columbia.Thousands of people in Yellowknife drove hundreds of kilometers (miles) to safety with authorities guiding motorists through fire zones, or waited in long lines lines for emergency flights as the worst fire season on record in Canada showed no signs of easing. Airtankers flew missions overnight to keep the only route out of Yellowknife open. Meanwhile, a network of fire guards, sprinklers and water cannons was established to try to protect the city from the fire.Fire Information Officer Mike Westwick told The Associated Press by phone Friday evening that the fire was still 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of the the city, partly because cooler temp...

Hurricane Hilary takes aim at Southern California: live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

Hurricane Hilary reached Category 4 strength as it moved northward along the Pacific coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The storm is expected to make landfall in Southern California on Sunday as a weak Category 1 or a tropical storm with rainfall amounts ranging from two to 10 inches. Many communities are bracing for flash flooding and a destructive storm surge. Live Hilary Radar | Interactive Storm Tracker | Full coverage3:45 p.m Friday - Southern California Edison provided this update on the utility's storm preparations:We’ve been planning ahead for this storm event and have positioned additional personnel, which includes restoration and repair crews, in areas that are expected to receive the most significant impacts. This will allow us to respond to outages in affected areas as quickly as we can safely do so. 2 p.m. Friday - Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border...

Powerful Hurricane Hilary heads for Mexico's Baja. Rare tropical storm watch issued for California

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico's Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border city of Tijuana before heading into Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years. Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes across the region.Hillary grew rapidly in strength early Friday before losing some steam in the afternoon, with sustained winds falling from 145 mph (230 kph) to 130 mph (215 kph). Nevertheless, it was forecast to still be a hurricane when approaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night and a tropical storm when approaching Southern California on Sunday.No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The watch was posted for a wide swath of Southern California from the coast to interior mountains and deserts. The U.S. National Hu...

Five Antioch and Pittsburg cops charged with accepting bribes, including tequila, to make traffic tickets go away

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged five Antioch and Pittsburg police officers in an alleged conspiracy to drop traffic tickets in exchange for apparent bribes of food and liquor, court records filed Friday show.The documents show former Antioch police Officer Timothy Manly Williams will be charged with felony counts of conspiracy to commit an act injurious to public and accepting a bribe in a 2020 case where he allegedly accepted Teremana tequila – the brand founded by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – from a person in exchange for help making a traffic ticket go away.The tequila made its way to Antioch patrol Officer Andrea Rodriguez, who court documents allege received the tequila for failing to appear in court Nov. 2, 2020, in a traffic case despite being subpoenaed. Other officers implicated in the court documents include Antioch patrol Officer Calvin Prieto; former Pittsburg Officer Ernesto Mejia-Orozco and Antioch Officer Ben Padilla.The state charges by t...

People’s Park: Demolished trees, vegetation spark $4.5 million lawsuit against UC Berkeley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

BERKELEY — Neighborhood groups tied to People’s Park have filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against the University of California Regents, claiming officials “willfully and maliciously” destroyed the community’s plants and property — hindering access and enjoyment of the park in the process.Three 50-year-old nonprofits — the People’s Park Council, People’s Park Project and Native Plant Forum — filed a civil complaint this week in Alameda County Superior Court, finding fault in how the Regents, the UC system’s governing board, ordered demolition crews last August to start felling trees and fencing in the property a few blocks south of UC Berkeley’s campus.UC Berkeley has been eyeing the site for development since it seized the land by eminent domain and bulldozed the property in 1968 — leaving behind a vacant, muddy lot that hundreds of residents eventually transformed into a park with sod, flowers and trees in 1969. Amid UC’s continued push to dev...

Martinez police shoot and kill unarmed person in cannabis dispensary incident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) -- An unarmed person was shot by Martinez Police Department officers outside a cannabis dispensary Friday morning, KRON4 has confirmed. Four officers discharged their firearms, according to Martinez PD.One of the civilians who was involved in the incident was transported to the hospital and was pronounced deceased, police confirmed. The four officers who discharged their weapons have been placed on administrative leave.The California Department of Justice is leading an investigation into the incident.Early Friday morning, Martinez PD received a report of a video alarm at Velvet, a cannabis dispensary, at around 3:27 a.m.Police were advised that there were multiple suspects and two vehicles at the business.According to the owners of the cannabis shop, they received a call from the Martinez Police Department notifying them of an attempted burglary. The suspect(s) was not able to break into the business. Officers arrived about five minutes later, and one of the ...

Teen arrested after reported car burglary in Petaluma

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A suspect was arrested in connection to a vehicle burglary early Thursday morning, the Petaluma Police Department said in a Nixle alert. Around 5:34 a.m., the victim reported the suspect was burglarizing their vehicle outside their home on Lindberg Lane.The victim's family member saw the teen suspect enter the vehicle and remove items from the glove box and center console, according to police. Once the suspect saw the victim's family member, he got out of the car and began to run away. The victim's family member believed the teen had a gun on him. Starbucks no longer offering disposable cups at these North Bay locations However, officers arrived in the area and detained the suspect without incident. Police did not find a firearm on him or nearby -- despite a K9 search of the residential neighborhood. The suspect was discovered to be a 17-year-old from the Lakeport area. He was booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention Facility for "vehicle tampering," Petaluma po...

Eastbound I-80 closed this weekend for maintenance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

(KRON) -- Eastbound Interstate 80 in Hercules will be closed this weekend for maintenance, according to Caltrans. Closures will begin after 9 p.m. Friday and last through 5 a.m. on Monday.This weekend's closures are part of an ongoing series of four different weekend closures this summer to perform major pavement repair on the eastbound and westbound I-80 in Contra Costa County. Caltrans will work on one traffic direction at a time.This weekend will see eastbound I-80 closed and traffic detoured beginning at the eastbound I-80/SR-4 interchange in Hercules.Eastbound I-80 Closure detour directions:From EB I-80 to SR-4 in Hercules, exit onto eastbound SB-4Continue on eastbound SR-4 to northbound I-680Then continue on northbound I-680 past BeniciaThen re-enter eastbound I-80 in FairfieldAdditional eastbound I-80 detour options:I-780 remains openCummings Skyway remains openAll work is weather and conditions dependent.

This Bay Area city has the highest car theft rate in the nation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:42:00 GMT

(KRON) -- Is Oakland a safe city to drive in compared to other cities across the United States and California? A recent study by Market Watch set out to answer that question. Information compiled in the study revealed that while Oakland is one of the most unsafe cities for drivers in one aspect, it grades out as above average in others. Car TheftsAccording to Market Watch, Oakland has the highest rate of car thefts of any city in the United States. There were 5,041 car thefts in Oakland in 2019, according to the FBI's crime report. The town's rate of 1,161.4 thefts per 100,000 people tops any other city nationwide. For comparison, Round Rock, Texas had the lowest car theft rate in the country at 39.9 thefts per 100,000 people -- more than 29 times less than Oakland. The city with the second-highest car theft rate is Detroit. Per 100,000 people, Detroit's rate is 1,037.8 thefts per 100,000 people.DUI and crashesConversely, Market Watch's study grades Oakland out well in two categorie...